The Disclosed Secret

Chapter Five ~ A Vulnerable Boy

I woke on the soft grass. I bent my arms and pushed myself into a sitting position. I turned around me but there were no wings on my back. My hair bobble had fallen out and my long curly hair was whipping free in the wind. Tia had obviously teleported us back into the human world. I looked across at Lawrie. His eyes were closed and his dark fringe was in his eyes. His cheeks were pink with the icy wind over his few freckles that were dotted across his cheeks and nose. I crawled over to him and shook his shoulder.

"Lawrie?" I asked.

His eyelids fluttered and his guarded blue eyes were exposed.

"Where are we?" he asked me, sitting up.

"Back in the field" I replied "Tia must have transported us back"

He nodded.

"Charlie?" he asked.

"Yeah?" I retorted.

"What the heck did we just agree to? Are we going mad?"

"I've been asking the same question myself" I said. Lawrie was right. What on Earth have we gotten ourselves into? I shuffled a little closer to him when suddenly something identical from both of our necks glowed a strange blue colour. I looked down at my neck to see a piece of cold silver metal jigsaw on a black string. Lawrie was wearing one identical to it, though by the looks of it, the separate pieces fitted together. Lawrie raised an eyebrow.

"They fit together" I said.

"I know, can you come back here tomorrow? After school?" he asked.

I nodded.

"Okay. We'll enter The Pearl Dimension, and ask about the necklaces and more of an expanded explanation, okay?" Lawrie confirmed.

"Okay" I replied.

We walked out of the creaky gate as the winter moon began to rise. I sat on my bike, ready to pedal.

"Bye Lawrie" I said.

"Bye" he grumbled.

And I pedalled off into the moonlight and glanced back once behind my shoulder to see a vulnerable - not angry nor spiteful boy - standing, pulling on a beanie hat, in the twilight.

When I reached home it was one minute to six but the truth is I was exhausted. I parked my bike behind the bike hate and rushed up the stairs, past the living room where Mum and Dad were sitting sipping wine, past the bathroom with the dripping tap and up to my study. I knew I had it somewhere. There it was. The key to the bottom corridor was there. Our family was quite well off with money. We had a big five storey house for three people. And considering that there was so many secrets to be kept from my parents, I would have to move my bedroom, study and bathroom to the floor underneath the dining room, living room and kitchen.

I walked into the living room.

"Mum? Dad?" I asked.

"Yeah, honey?" Mum said.

"Can I move to the bottom floor?" I asked as casually as possible.

Mum and Dad exchanged glances - and finally weakened.

"Okay, fine, I'll put your bed in the biggest room on the bottom floor tomorrow" Dad said.

"Thank you" I said.

"Honey, do you want some fajitas?" Mum asked.

"No, I'm actually kind of tired" I gave a fake exaggerated yawn and stretch to prove my point "I think I'll go to bed"

"Well if you're sure sweetie"

I walked upstairs to my bedroom.

"Night night" Mum ad Dad called up.

"Night"

I changed into my pyjamas and fell asleep with the icy duvet pulled up to my chin.